Prep Voices

Nobody’s perfect.

Years ago, our sports heroes were admired solely for what they accomplished on the playing field. Sure, they had foibles and faults--just like their modern counterparts--but we were usually kept in the dark about their off-field exploits.

What used to be considered the private part of an athlete’s life--perhaps kept that way through a gentlemen’s agreement between player and reporter--is today made public as competing newspapers, magazines, TV and radio stations vie for the “exclusive” story.

Athletes aren’t the only ones who undergo such scrutiny; anybody who stands in the public spotlight must accept being held to a higher standard by admirers.

In a TV commercial, basketball superstar Charles Barkley said he didn’t want to be a role model. Olympic silver medalist figure skater Nancy Kerrigan echoed Sir Charles’ sentiments during a TV interview not long ago.

But many professional and amateur athletes are looked up to by young people hungry to find someone to emulate. Is it fair to expect any athlete to serve as a role model?

It might not be fair to expect anybody to serve as a role model. But young people will continue to look up to someone, to hang on their every word and, perhaps, to copy their behavior. And that’s always going to come with the territory of being a star.

On Campus

Q: It is fair to expect any athlete to serve as a role model?

“Whether it is fair or not, prominent people are role models. Whatever line of business they are in, people in the spotlight will be looked up to by those of us who admire how they do things.

“Whether they want to be a role model, these individuals have a responsibility to behave in an adult manner and, if they make a mistake, admit it.

“There’s a price to pay for stardom. That price is that people watch what you say and do. It’s not only fair to be expected to conduct oneself intelligently, it’s part of the deal.”

Jane Rockley, Santa Ana

“Athletes, or just people in general, who are in the public limelight, whether they want to be role models, their words do speak very loudly to the young and old alike. We, as Americans--not only professional athletes but also the general public--must serve as role models for one another.”

Dan Meyer, Cypress

“I agree with Charles Barkley saying he does not want to be a role model. Reggie Jackson was my sports hero when I grew up. And that is all he was, a sports hero. I did not try to model my life after him; I respected what he did on the baseball field.

“All that I ask of a sports figure today is that they excel on the field. “The media place athletes’ off-field lives in the limelight too much. Basically, I do not care what any athlete does off the field. Parents need to take the initiative to be a kid’s role model. We cannot make our athletes assume that role.”

Ian Swanbeck, Huntington Beach

“Professional athletes should always expect to be looked upon as role models because that is the price the must pay for fame. I would think that any athlete would be proud to assume the responsibility of being a role model. There are some cases, though, where athletes don’t understand how big a deal it is to be a role model and they don’t take their actions into serious thought.”

Heather Reitz, Villa Park sophomore

“Athletes such as Charles Barkley and Nancy Kerrigan are role models by default. Fans and admirers seldom are going to have an opportunity to see them outside the arena, so when we get a chance to see them under the lights, what we see is what we get. They need to know that whether they like it, people are going to watch what they do and what they say.”

Dennis Eastman, Huntington Beach

“Unfortunately, the media put too much of a spotlight on some of the people who are just the media moguls--the Charles Barkleys and Magic Johnsons of the world. Traditionally, professional athletes have been role models for decades, all the way back to Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. The media weren’t as strong back then, but if you put a little more emphasis on some of the silent giants as role models--the J.T. Snows and Bo Jacksons--the kids would have someone to look up to.

“As far as the people who don’t want to be role models, let’s not make them role models. But the children definitely need someone to look up to, somebody to emulate their life after.”

Mike Garmon, Costa Mesa

“Whether these athletes accept it or not, the professional sports arena is going to magnify their presence and image. It is to their best advantage to serve the public in a positive aspect. Has Charles Barkley accepted his image on countless basketball cards being traded, collected and prized by young fans? All athletes should think twice before snubbing the backbone of support--the fans.”

Corey Lyons, Huntington Beach

“Public figures have a responsibility to the public. I’ve been a public school teacher and a coach for 30 years, and I felt that every time I walked out onto the field, I was a model for someone. They had to have my respect and my good ethical, moral responses to the kids, and I knew the kids were looking up to me.

“I don’t care what Charles Barkley or Nancy Kerrigan say, I think it’s wrong. They just don’t want that responsibility. I don’t think anybody does, but we have the responsibility whether or not we want it.

Chuck Wilson, Anaheim High teacher

“When athletes sign endorsement contracts for products or services and have their image used to promote something, I don’t know where they think they’re coming from when they say they are not role models because that’s what they’re being put up as. It’s strictly their personality, what they do in their sport or whatever that makes them attractive to these people who pay them these mega-bucks.

“If somebody is being paid the equivalent of 10 lifetimes of an average person’s working salary, that certainly makes them someone to look up to.”

Andrew Michaels, Brea

“It goes with the territory. It’s something you have to accept. It’s like being an airplane pilot--is it fair that you can’t drink on the job? Of course. It goes with the territory, just like other things go with other professions. It’s something you get paid a lot of money for. You’re high profile, and you owe something back to the community to act as a role model.”

James Wicks, Huntington Beach

“Sports celebrities should not be looked up to as role models because most celebrities don’t give a damn about what’s going on in their communities because of all the money they’re making. The real role models should be the parents--or the parent. Why should a stranger be a role model to our kids or the kids in our community?”

Nelson Hernandez, Costa Mesa

“I tell the kids to look at the players as role models for how they play on the field, not off the field. To copy the best to try to be the best.”

Terry Haynes, Fullerton youth coach

“I do not think it is fair for athletes to be role models anymore than any other portion of our society. I think young people can look up to athletes as people of outstanding abilities and in the pros, people with large financial success, but people of a young and impressionable age should look more to people within the community or their family to look up to and possibly emulate their successes.”

Mary Whistler, Mission Viejo

“Everybody is a role model regardless of whether you want to be. But are you a good or bad role model, or indifferent? Do you stay in or out of trouble? Do you live by the so-called Golden Rule? Do you give something back to the community? Everybody is a role model. What kind are you?”

Jeff Staudinger, Anaheim

“Our athletes today, whether they be at the professional or amateur level, should not be expected to be role models. They should be allowed to pursue their private lives. It is the media that elevates them to role-model status. However, if athletes choose to accept sponsorship and endorsements, then they should also assume the responsibilities they carry. If they are to gain personally from media exposure, they should also accept the responsibilities.

“Youths in our society are in desperate need of role models and cling to whomever they can identify with or aspire to be like. In the ‘80s, many of our traditional role models fell to scandal, crime, greed, disgrace, etc. They included individuals in government, world leaders, business leaders, athletes, television, film and music stars. Youths are now grasping at whomever can fill this void. As a society, we must not ignore this--especially the media.”

Scott Morrison, Costa Mesa

“Everybody has a responsibility to be a role model in terms of demonstrating the basic qualities and values they think are important. But this especially applies to athletes, especially professional athletes whose fame and fortune are directly resultant from fans willing to attend the games and buy the products that advertise the games that cause the players to be paid these wonderfully large salaries.

“But the quid pro quo is they should demonstrate qualities and values which are consistent with those the fans think are important. So if the majority of fans think sportsmanship, goodwill and friendly competition are important, those are the qualities that should be demonstrated.”

Jeff Weber, Irvine